And a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, Thus says the Lord God of your father David: Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, or in the ways of Asa king of Judah,
Parallel translations
- WEB A letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, “Yahweh, the God of David your father, says, ‘Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah,
- KJV And there came a writing to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, Thus saith the LORD God of David thy father, Because thou hast not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat thy father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah,
- BSB Then a letter came to Jehoram from Elijah the prophet, which stated: “This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: ‘You have not walked in the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or of Asa king of Judah,
- NASB Then a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, “This is what the Lord, the God of your father David says: ‘Because you have not walked in the ways of your father Jehoshaphat and the ways of Asa king of Judah,
- NLT Then Elijah the prophet wrote Jehoram this letter: “This is what the Lord, the God of your ancestor David, says: You have not followed the good example of your father, Jehoshaphat, or your grandfather King Asa of Judah.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
A letter from the prophet Elijah confronted Jehoram for abandoning the godly ways of his ancestors. God sent a clear warning before judgment fell.
Overview
Jehoram received a written rebuke from Elijah, charging him with departing from the faithful paths of Jehoshaphat and Asa. The letter shows God graciously warning even a wicked king before judgment. It models the prophetic call to repentance that precedes God's discipline.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- 2 Chr 14:2–5Asa did that which was good and right in Yahweh his God’s eyes;
- 2 Chr 17:3–4Yahweh was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and didn’t seek the Baals,
- 2 Kgs 2:1When Yahweh was about to take Elijah up by a whirlwind into heaven, Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
- 1 Kgs 15:11Asa did that which was right in Yahweh’s eyes, as David his father did.
- Dan 5:25–29This is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
- 2 Kgs 2:11As they continued on and talked, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated them, and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
- Jer 36:2“Take a scroll of a book, and write in it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel, and against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of Josiah, even to this day.
- Dan 5:5In the same hour, the fingers of a man’s hand came out and wrote near the lamp stand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace. The king saw the part of the hand that wrote.
- 1 Kgs 22:43He walked in all the way of Asa his father. He didn’t turn aside from it, doing that which was right in Yahweh’s eyes. However the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
- Jer 36:23When Jehudi had read three or four leaves, the king cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was in the brazier, until all the scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the brazier.
- Jer 36:28–32“Take again another scroll, and write in it all the former words that were in the first scroll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah has burned.
- Ezek 2:9–10When I looked, behold, a hand was stretched out to me; and, behold, a scroll of a book was therein;
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Temple, priesthood, and the repeated need for a faithful king who seeks the LORD all point past every imperfect reign to the King and Temple who finally and fully dwell with God's people.
How 2 Chronicles 21:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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